A doctor who vanished in the jungle after an emergency paraglider landing could have been kidnapped by illegal gold miners for his medical skills, detectives say.
Witold Gilarski, then 69, disappeared in March 2025 after taking part in a 57km (35-mile) paragliding race.
The experienced paraglider was forced to land in difficult terrain shortly after taking off for the race, which was due to finish south of Santa Fe de Antioquia in Colombia.
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Around 28 hours later, he made a brief phone call to a friend, insisting he had landed safely and was uninjured.
He reportedly said he planned to make his way down a slope by following a stream, but the call suddenly ended.
It was the last time anyone spoke to him.
Now, an international team of Polish detectives investigating his disappearance has identified a new area of interest after analysing mobile phone data and information from sources in Colombia.
Dawid Burzacki, who leads the team, said the original search may have focused on the wrong area.
He told Polish media: “We have spent many weeks working extremely intensively, with hundreds of hours of analysis.
“We have significantly narrowed down the search area.”
One theory being investigated is that Gilarski was kidnapped by people operating in isolated settlements linked to illegal gold mining.
Detectives believe his medical knowledge could have made him valuable to people living in remote areas far from major transport routes.
Burzacki said: “Witold is a doctor. Under certain circumstances, his knowledge and skills could be extremely useful to people living in isolated, illegal settlements, for example in areas where gold is mined illegally.
“I am not saying that this is what happened. It is one possibility we must consider and attempt to verify.”
He added that the kidnapping theory had been given a “very high priority” in the team’s investigation, as reported by Need To Know.
However, detectives stressed there is currently no confirmed evidence that Gilarski was abducted.
They are also investigating the possibility that he suffered a serious accident in the mountains, where a fall, injury or loss of direction could prove fatal.
Gilarski had suffered multiple leg fractures in the past and had a distinctive limp, which could have made travelling long distances through difficult terrain painful.
Another possibility being considered is that he deliberately cut off contact with his family, although the team has no confirmed evidence to support this theory.
Investigators have also discovered that Gilarski’s phone continued connecting to mobile networks after his final conversation.
Burzacki warned that this did not necessarily mean the missing man was still using the device.
“A device can remain active even when its owner no longer has control over it,” he said.
Gilarski’s wife, Elżbieta, continues to hope he will be found alive.
“The uncertainty is incredibly difficult, but we cannot stop believing,” she said.
“Every day, we wait for news that will help us understand what happened to him.”
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